


Strawberry Milk and Coffee

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, bonding moments all around, words can hurt but things can be smoothed over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-15 21:39:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17536739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: A day after their fight, Keith and James apologize for what was said.





	Strawberry Milk and Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Voltron (c) Netflix & Dreamworks

“Shiro...could I borrow some money?”  
  
The young Officer looked up in surprise at the teenage Cadet standing next to him. “Sure, but what for, Keith?”  
  
“I want to buy something from the vending machine.” Keith pointed to the vending machine full of different drinks outside the Officer's Lounge.  
  
“Of course.” Shiro walked over and pulled out his wallet, Keith following behind him. “What do you want?”  
  
“That one.” Keith pointed to a particular item.  
  
“Never took you for a coffee drinker.” Shiro remarked, sliding his card to purchase the drink. “I'm a tea drinker, myself.”  
  
“It's not for me.” Keith knelt down and picked it up from the deposit bin. “Thanks.” He turned and walked off with his purchase.  
  
“Who's it for, then?” Shiro called after him.  
  
“Someone I have to apologize to.” Keith replied, turning the corner.  
  
–  
  
Keith clutched at the coffee tightly as he walked, making his way to the student lounge. He looked in and frowned, not seeing his target anywhere.   
  
“Kogane?” One of the other Cadets looked over in surprise. “What's up?” He walked over to him.  
  
“I was looking for Griffin.” Keith said, glancing away. “Is he not here?”  
  
“He got leave to go to town for an hour.” The Cadet nodded. “He'll be back soon.”  
  
“'Kay. Uhm...let him know I was looking for him? Wait, no, don't. Just...forget I was here.” He quickly left, his head bowed.  
  
“So, tell him or don't tell him?” The Cadet asked.  
  
“Don't!” Keith scurried off.  
  
He made his way to the rooftop view and sighed, sitting down and looking at the drink. “What am I doing...as if he'll forgive me just from this. I'm an idiot.” He curled up a bit. “God, the way he _glared_ at me...”  
  
He got up and leaned against the railing, sighing as he looked out at the desert. “What's wrong with me? Why can't I just...be _nice_? Why do I have to be so...ugh.”  
  
He looked at the drink again, sighing. “I'm such a dummy, huh? Get him some coffee and it's all better.”  
  
Something cold touched the back of his neck and he yelped, quickly turning around. “What the hell, James?!”  
  
James chuckled, waving the cold can of strawberry milk at him. “I see we had the same idea.” He nodded to the drink in Keith's hand.  
  
“Oh.” Keith blinked, feeling a bit of guilt at the bandage on James' cheek. “I...I guess we did.”  
  
“I was out of line.” James held out the drink. “I shouldn't have mentioned your parents. Forgive me?”  
  
Keith held out the coffee and smiled a bit. “ _I_ was out of line. I know how much grades matter to you, and I not only ruined the score for everyone, but I mocked you for being upset about us all being punished for it. Forgive me?”  
  
They traded drinks and then James moved next to him, opening the can to take a sip. “Of course I forgive you. Do you forgive me?”  
  
“I forgive you.” Keith opened his own can and glanced at him. “Does...does it hurt?”  
  
“Yeah, but I deserved it.” James shrugged.  
  
“You could've hit me back.” Keith pointed out.  
  
“I could've.” James nodded.  
  
“You could hit me now for it. Free throw.” Keith tapped his own cheek.  
  
James looked at him. “Keith...I could never hurt you. With how much you've already been hurt, I don't ever want to be one of the ones responsible. What I did yesterday was cruel, and I'll make sure never to do it again. Harmless teasing is one thing. Bringing up your parents, and in front of everyone? That was unforgivable.”  
  
“Borderline. I _did_ forgive you.” Keith nudged him and smiled. “Thanks for the drink, Jimmy.”  
  
“Thanks for _this_ one, K.” James grinned.  
  
They both sat down and looked out at the sky. “So...our first week at the Galaxy Garrison. We have years to go. Imagine us both in Officer uniforms.” James grinned.  
  
“Nah, I'll probably get expelled for something dumb.” Keith shook his head.  
  
James looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Don't do that. You have so much potential, and you'd look great in an Officer's uniform.”  
  
“Green's not my color.” Keith stuck out his tongue. “You'd look good in it, though. You look good in anything.”  
  
“So do you.” James nudged his side, then took another sip of his drink. “Just think: this time next year, we might be flying side by side in our own ships.”  
  
“Next year?” Keith laughed. “That's a little optimistic. Maybe in a few years.”  
  
“Yeah, maybe.” James smiled.  
  
–  
  
Keith leaned on the railing on top of the newly-repaired Galaxy Garrison, sighing softly. Earth was a mess, and the view had changed drastically in the five years he'd been out in space. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine what it looked like before, drifting off into memory lane.  
  
Something cold touched the back of his neck and he gasped, turning around quickly with a hand slapping over his neck. “What the hell, James?!”  
  
James chuckled and waved the can at him. “Look what I found.”  
  
Keith blinked and took it. “Strawberry milk?”  
  
“Found some at the market before we left Earth and bought a bunch. I planned to surprise you, but I never got the chance.” James moved next to him, opening the other can he'd been holding.  
  
“Did you find that at the market, too?” Keith asked.  
  
“Mmhm.” James sighed softly, taking a sip of his coffee. “We're slowly phasing money back in. A lot of people protested the barter system.”  
  
“I bet. I know Pidge was real upset that she had to trade in a game she really wanted so she could get Allura a pretty dress.” Keith sighed and leaned against the railing again. “I miss her.”  
  
“Princess Allura?” James nodded. “Yeah. She didn't have to go that way. It wasn't fair to her.”  
  
“Life isn't fair.” Keith sat down against the railing and James sat next to him. “And happy endings don't come for free. That's reality.”  
  
James sighed and nodded. “All the magic out there, and there's no way to bring her back?”  
  
“Maybe there is. I mean, she's essentially a goddess, right? Maybe she can physically manifest, and she just hasn't yet because she's still fixing up the realities.” Keith shrugged.  
  
“Yeah, let's think optimistically.” James chuckled. “God knows we need a little optimism in this mess of a universe.”  
  
Keith nodded. “Hey...I'm thinking of going to Daibazaal.”  
  
James looked at him. “The newly-restored Galra home-world?”  
  
Keith nodded, then looked at him. “Come with me?”  
  
James blinked and then chuckled. “Well, of course. If I don't, you'll probably get yourself in trouble again. I mean, you got yourself expelled and joined an intergalactic war? Seriously?”  
  
“Those two things are unrelated!” Keith said, then laughed. “But, that _is_ kind of funny, isn't it?”  
  
“I'm surprised you're asking me and not Shirogane.” James hummed.  
  
Keith sighed softly. “Shiro's...been distant.”  
  
“I noticed. He took too long to do anything at the volcanic—oh!” James frowned, then gasped and reached into his jacket. “Right, I almost forgot about this thing!”  
  
“What thing?” Keith asked.  
  
“Another thing I kept forgetting to give you.” He held out Keith's Blade. “I picked it up before we left that volcanic planet and we didn't really meet up after that much, we were so busy.”  
  
“We met up.” Keith took the knife. “But, I can understand you getting distracted.” He chuckled. “You had a knife attached to my _life-force_ on your person.”  
  
“It's a what?” James' cheek went pink.  
  
Keith grinned. “James Griffin, let me tell you about a group called the Blade of Marmora.”  
  
James smiled and settled down to listen, sipping at his coffee as he listened to Keith speak.  
  
It was hard to believe they'd managed to make it through the war with the Galra, but they had. And, somehow, they managed to still be friends after years apart. He sighed softly and leaned his head on Keith's shoulder. Keith paused in his talking for a bit, then continued where he left off as if James hadn't just started using him as a pillow.  
  
They sat there as the sun set behind them, the only sound filling the air being Keith's enthusiastic storytelling. James smiled and sipped at his coffee quietly, feeling – finally – at peace.  
  
End

 

**Author's Note:**

> A canful of sugar helps the bitterness go down.


End file.
